Power-driven semi-automatic hair curler



June 25, 1968 R, M, REYES PovJER-DRIVEN SEMI-AUTOMATIC HAIR cuRLER FiledApril 4, 1966 United States Patent O Mice 3,389,708 POWER-DRIVENSEMI-AUTUMATIC HAIR CURLER Robert M. Reyes, 614 Forest Ave., LosAngeles, Calif. 90033 Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 540,011 12 Claims.(Cl. 132-34) This invention relates to hair curling devices and moreparticularly to an improved self-contained power driven hair curler oflightweight construction adapted to be easily manipulated in the hand ofthe user and effective to curl strands of hair on a cylindrical rollerand thereafter to lock the hair in place Ithereon with a power-sethairpin.

The task of curling strands of hair tightly on roller devices andholding it in place while the hair takes a set is a time consuming andlaborious one. In recognition of this and of the tiring effort involved,designers have made proposals for a variety of mechanical devicesintended -to minimize the effort and time involved. However, priordevices provided for this purpose are subject to many disadvantages andleave much to be desired.

For example, these are not self-contained and require power unitssupported outside the curler proper and connected thereto throughflexible power transmission means. Another shortcoming has been the lackof a power-driven curler adapted to support conventional type curlerrolls and capable of being driven in either direction at the usersoption.

Another failing has been the lack of provision for storing and settinghairpins while the curling roller is still mounted on the curlingappliance to maintain the hair stored firmly on the roller.

Itis, therefore, a primary objective of the present invention to providea compact, lightweight, fully self-contained powered hair curleravoiding the foregoing and other shortcomings of prior curling devices.

The invention curler has a main frame provided with a pistol grip at oneend featuring an ON-OFF control, a reversing control and a third controlfor activating the hairpin setter using the power of the device undercontrolled conditions to set the pin. The curling roller itself isfrictionally retained on a power-driven chucking device at the forwardend of a main body with the curler rim positioned in alignment with lthenext hairpin presented by the hairpin magazine. A single pin isdischarged from the magazine and astride the rim of the roller and thehair stored thereon by iirst shifting a selectable clutch mechanism ofthe device and then activating the motor to eject the pin at a desiredrate. The pin ejecting plunger is returned to its retracted position asspring-pressed -indexing mechanism rotates the magazine to its nextpinsetting position. As the operator relaxes her hold on clutch shiftingmechanism, a spring restores the clutch to its normal setting inreadiness to rotate the next roller in a direction controlled by areversing switch for the motor. The three controls for the device aremounted in a convenient position to be operated by the users indexfinger and thumb while maintaining a grasp of the hair curl'er handgrip.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide aself-contained unitary hand-held power-driven hair curler having atwo-phase operating cycle in the rst of which the motor is -utilized tostore hair on a roller and in the second of which the motor is used toset a hairpin thereby securing the hair in stored position on theroller.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a' lightweighthand-held hair curler having a hairpin magazine and power means forsetting hairpins in succession 3,389,708 Patented June 25, 19,68

astride the rim of a roller after a strand of hair has been storedthereon.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a power-drivehand-held hair curler having a pair of sequentially operating clutchdevices in one position of which the motor is operable to drive a hairroller and in the second position of which the motor is operable to seta hairpin to secure the hair wrapped about the roller.

These and other more specic objects will appear'upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated.

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention hair curler with portions of the device cut away along brokenlines to show constructional details;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally alongline 2 2 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along lbroken line3 3 and FIGURE 4 is an elevational view looking at the righthand endface of the driven spur gear.

Referring to FIGURE l, there is shown a preferred ernbodiment of theinvention hair curler, designated generally 10, having a main body 11provided with a pistol type handgrip 12, a hairpin magazine 13 and acollet-type chucking device 14 at its forward end frictionallysupporting a curling roller 15. Suitably secured within the rearward endof the main body and downwardly into handle 12 is a main frame 16 formedof strip metal and to which the reversible electric motor 17 is mountedby means of a bracket 1,8. This motor preferably includes a slip clutchdevice 19 driving a shaft 20 to which a spur gear 21 is secured. Thisgear meshes with the teeth of a driven gear 22 having a loose t withmain shaft 23 of the curler. This shaft is carried in bearings mountedalong the length of the main body with its forward end keyed to hub 24of chucking device 14.

Chucking device 14 is sized to readily receive the thinwalledcylindrical rollers 15. Hub 24 is provided with a plurality of slots 2'5about its periphery each loosely seating a chucking vane 26 provided atits opposite ends with trunnions 2'7 having a loose sliding fit in slots28. These slots are formed in end discs 29 held assembled to the hubs,as by screws 30. The inner edges of the vanes 26 are provided with aflat leaf spring 32 having curved ends bearing against the bottom ofslots 25. These springs urge the vanes outwardly into firm frictionalgripping contact with the interior surface of rollers 15. The vanes maybe formed of resilient material to provide an even firmer grippingcontact with the rollers. Also the leading ends of the vanes arecontoured, as in FIGURE l, to facilitate ypiloting the roller onto thechucking device and in depressing the gripping vanes during the assemblyoperation.

Hairpin magazine 13 comprises a generally ring shaped main body 34 heldloosely and rotatably assembled on a stationary hub 35 forming a part ofthe curlers main body. Magazine ring 34 is held in assembled position onthe hub, as by a bushing ring 36 having threads mating with a threadedwell in the forward end of hub 35 and is pro vided with a series ofrectangular passages or storage cells 38 each loosely accommodating asingle hairpin 39. It will be understood that bushing 3'6 is providedwith`a single opening 38 in alignment with that cell 38 of the magazinealways aligned with the pin setting plunger to be described more -fullypresently. As is made clear by FIGURE 1, the discharge port 38 for thepin storage assafzos Y 3 cells is so positioned as to. guide the ,innerlonger leg of the hairpin along the interior surface of curler rollerand the shorter leg outwardly over the camming rim edge of the roller,thereby spreading the pin legs while guiding them over the hair 41curled on the roller.

Magazine 34 is held in a proper pin setting position by a anged balldetent 43 slidably supported in a shouldered well 44 and urged towardits extended position Iby a spring 45 so that its forward rounded endseats in one of a ring of depressions 46 (FIGURE 2) formed betweenstorage cells 38. The means for indexing the magazine ring into itssuccessive pin setting positions will be described below.

Referring now to the right-hand end of FIGURE 1, it Will be understoodthat the driven spur gear 22 mounted loosely on shaft 23 is arranged tobe selectively clutched either to shaft 23 or to a cable storing reel 49mounted loosely on shaft 23..Spur gear 22 and reel 49 are held againstmovement along the shaft in any suitable way as by the split ringkeepers 50, 50 seated in grooves formed in the shaft. A first clutchingdevice comprises a grooved collar 52 slidable along the shaft and alonga key -53 fixed to the shaft. Clutch collar 52 has at least one pin 54,and preferably a pair of diametrically-spaced pins, extending axiallytherefrom and loosely into wells 5S ln the adjacent face of spur gear22. For simplicity of illustration, only one pin is shown in FIGURE 1but it will be understood that a pair of pins is preferably present andspaced 180 degrees apart as best indicated in FIGURE 4. The inlets towells 55 are preferably provided with sloping arcuate cammingdepressions serving to guide the ends of pins 54 into the wells.

A second clutching collar 58 is loosely supported on shaft 23 to theright of cable reel 49 and is provided with at least one pin andpreferably a pair of pins 59. This pin is substantially longer than pin54 and its forward end is continuously and loosely seated in a bore 60through reel 49. Bore 60 is arranged to align with a well 61 openingthrough the right-hand face of driven spur gear 22 when pin 55 isaligned with its seating well in this Same gear. When clutch pin 59 isseated in well `61, the motor is effective to rotate cable reel 49.

A common control for operating clutch collars 52 and 58 in out-of-phaserelation comprises a plunger button 64 secured to a slider `65 heldreciprocably supported against the underside of main frame member 16 byguide tabs 66 (FIGURE 3) formed from main frame 16. Slider includes apair of downturned tangs 67, 68 having bifurcated lower endsrespectively seated loosely in the grooved clutch collars 52, 5S. Acompression spring 69 surrounding the shank of plunger 64 holds thisplunger normally in its extended position shown in FIGURE 1 wherein thefirst clutch 52 is engaged with driven gear 22 and clutch 58 isdisengaged therefrom. However, when the operator depresses plunger 64clutch 52, 54 is disengaged from gear 22 as the second clutch 58, 59shifts to its alternate position clutching cable reel 49 to gear 22. Thetwo clutches are so arranged that it is not possible for both to beengaged at the same time.

The plunger-operated slider 65 includes a cam member 72 at its forwardend position for indexing the hairpin magazine 34 one cell followingeach complete pin s etting operation. This indexing means is best shownin FIG- URES 1 and 2 and includes a slide member 73 having an integralboss 74 freely slidable along a pin 75 and urged toward its upper limitby a compression spring 76. This spring also maintain-s a pin 77 fixedin the front face of slider 73 in contact with cam 72. An indexing dog78 pivotally supported on a pin 79 is urged counterclock- Wise against astop pin 80 by a tension spring 81. The free end of this dog extendsinto a hairpin storage cell 38 as the slider moves upwardly under theaction of spring 76 during the extension movement of plunger 64 at theend of a hairpin setting operation. In this way the next hairpin isindexed into setting position relative to maga- 4 zine outlet port38 asthe operator relaxes the pressure on plunger 64 at the end of a pinsetting operation.

The pin setting means comprises a plunger loosely supported in a hollowhousing 86 secured to the top of frame 16. This housing is provided witha slot 87 extending along substantially the full length of its oppositesides to accommodate a cross-pin 88. The left-hand end of cross-pin 88as viewed in FIGURE 3 is notched to seat the upper end 89 of a torsionspring 90, The other end 91 of this spring is anchored to the mainframe, as by clip 92 (FIGURE 2) the torsion spring being effective atall times to urge plunger 85 to its retracted position shown in FIGURE1.

The right-hand end of cross-pin 88 as viewed in FIG- URE 3 is connectedto one end of a strong flexible cable 94 extending along the top side offrame 16, around pulley 95, then over pulleys 96 and 97 to a pin 98anchored across the bottom of cable reel 49. Pulley 95 is mounted on apivot pin carried by main frame 16 whereas pulleys 96 and 97 aresupported on a bracket 98 along the side of frame 16 as best shown inFIGURE l. It will be understood that cable 94 is maintained undertension at all times by torsion spring 90 and that each of the pulleysis sutciently deeply grooved to prevent the cable from becomingdisplaced therefrom.

Additional features of the curler device include a motor reversingswitch 100 secured to the main frame 16 and having a two positioncontrol button 101 projecting through the side wall of handle 12 in aconvenient position to be manipulated by the users thumb while graspingthe handle. The main motor switch comprises a trigger 103 pivotallysupported on a pin 104 and urged clockwise against stop pin 105 by atorsion spring 106. When trigger 103 is pivoted clockwise, contact 107closes against stationary contact 108 to close the power circuit themotor then operating in a direction determined by the position ofreversing switch button 101.

It should also be pointed out that the magazine indexing slider 73 ispreferably normally concealed by a cover 110 (FIGURE 2) pivoted to theside of the main frame on a pin 111. As shown in FIGURE 2, this cover isclosed across the ends of certain of the hairpin storage cells 38. Whenthe cover is swung to its open position, the rear ends of these cellsare exposed for reloading, the magazine drum being rotated from positionto position as the cells are lledl Although not so shown, it will beunderstood that the right-hand side of the main frame may be providedwith a similar cover providing access to a larger number of cells 38 forconvenience in loading.

The operation of the described hair curler will be quite apparent fromthe foregoing detailed description of its construction and thefunctional relationship of the parts to one another. Assuming that themagazine has been charged with pins in the manner described immediatelyabove and that a curler roller 15 is in place on chucking device 14, thedevice is in readiness for use. The operator connects the electricservice cord for the motor to any suitable power supply and then graspshandle 12 in the right hand with the index finger embracing trigger 103.The free end of a strand of hair is then held pressed against the sideof the roller in the usual manner following which trigger 103 isdepressed to energize motor 17. The motor then drives spur gears 21, 22through slip clutch 19. Clutch collar 52 then being engaged with drivengear 22, shaft 23, chucking device 14 and roller 15 are slowly rotatedto wind hair 41 on roller 15 as the operator manipulates the curler in amanner to maintain the hair strand under light tension. When the hairhas been fully stored on the roller, trigger 103 is released followingwhich the pin setting control plunger 64 is depressed. This declutchesclutch collar 52 from gear 22 and simultaneously shifts clutch collai 58to the left to clutch cable reel 49 to gear 22. The operator nowdepresses trigger 103 to energize the motor and Wind one end of cable 94upon reel 49. As this occurs, the cable extends pin setting plunger 8Sto the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1 and into the aligned cell 38 todisplace hairpin 39 through port 38' and to drive it astride the cammedrim edge 40 of roller 15. During this operation, the operator may openand close trigger 103 as often and as necessary to avoid risk of injuryto herself or too rapid setting of the hairpin over the roller. Whenproperly fully set, the rounded head of the pin closely embraces rim 42of the roller so as to be held firmly in set position thereon.

During the depression of plunger 64 to set the hairpin, cam `72 on theforemost end of member 65 acts through pin 77 to index slider 73downwardly. During this operation, indexing pawl 73 pivots clockwiseabout pin 79 and becomes disengaged from one hairpin cell and cornes torest within the end of the next lower cell. Accordingly, upon release ofplunger 64 and return of this plunger to its normal position, spring 76projects indexing slider 73 upwardly as dog 78 indexes hairpin magazine34 by one cell. As the magazine finally reaches its new position, balldetent 43 seats in recess 46 and secures the magazine firmly in place.

It is also pointed out that rotation of chucking device 14 during thepin setting operation is safeguarded against in any suitable manner. Forexample, a brake for shaft 23 may comprise a spring 117 secured to theunderside of main frame 16 with its free end positi-oned to bear againstthe rim edges of clutch collar 52 when the latter is shifted to itsdisengaged position. For greater holding power, spring 117 may becorrugated crosswise of its free e-nd and the rim of clutch collar 52may be complementally corrugated to seat these corrugations.

As: soon as the hair has been clamped in place on the roller by ahairpin, the operator replaces the roller with another and the curler isagain used in the same manner described above to wrap another strand ofhair thereon.

If the operator should wish to wrap the hair in the reverse direction,this is easily done by shifting motor reversing button 101 to itsalternate position. The motor then operates to drive the roller in theopposite direction but the reverse rotation of the motor -does notinterfere in any way with the operation of the pin setting mechanismsince the cable reel is operable in either direction through thedescribed pulley arrangement to store the cable for reasons madeapparent by FIGURE 3.

While the particular power-driven semi-automatic hair curler hereinshown and disclosed in det-ail is fully capable of attaining the objectsand providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understoodthat it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments ofthe invention and that no limitations are intended to the details ofconstruction or design herein shown other than as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-contained power-driven hair curler having an elongated mainbody with an electric motor carried in the handle end thereof, a hairpinmagazine, a rotary roller chucking device projecting axially forwardlyof said magazine, a hollow roller adapted to be telescopically mountedover said chucking device, power-driven means for transferring a hairpinfrom said magazine lengthwise of said hollow roller and so that thehairpin embraces the adjacent rim edge of the hollow roller, meansoperatively connecting said electric motor to said chucking device andoperator-controlled means for selectively driving said chucking deviceand sa-id hairpin transfer means from said motor at the operatorsselection.

2. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said motoris reversible and operable to rotate said roller in opposite directions,and said means for transferring hairpins being operable to set hairpinsin the same direction over the adjacent rim edge of a rollerirrespective of the direction of rotation of said motor.

3. A hair curler as defined in claim 2 characterized in the provision ofmanual control means carried on said handle end for controlling thedirection of rotation of said reversible electric motor.

4. A hair curler as defined in claim 2 characterized in that saidoperator-controlled means includes spring means operable to hold thelast-mentioned means in one of two normal operating positions whereinsaid motor is effective to drive said roller chucking device.

5. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision ofmeans operatively associated with said hairpin magazine and effective toposition successive ones of a supply of hairpins stored therein inposition for one only thereof to be transferred over the edge of a hairroller during a given hairpin transfer operating cycle of said haircurler.

6. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said handleend includes a pistoltype handgrip projecting at an angle from the mainaxis of said hair curler and enclosing said electric motor.

7. A hair curler as delned in lclaim 1 characterized in that saidhairpin magazine is arranged for rotation about an axis extendinglengthwise of said main housing, and indexing means Ioperably connectedto operator-controlled means and effective to index another hairpin intotransfer position during each -operating cycle thereof.

8. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidselectively operable means for driving said chucking device and saidhairpin transfer means .includes first and second clutch means, andcommon coordinating means for disengaging either clutch as the otherclutch is engaged while shifting said selectively operable means betweenthe two normal positions thereof.

9. A hair curler as defined in clai-m `8 characterized in that saidoperator-controlled means includes plunger means having an exposed endexteriorly of said main body .md positioned to be shifted by a componentof lthe operators hand while grasping said handle end to change theoperating conditions of said first and second clutch means.

10. A hair curler as defined in claim 8 characterized in the provisionof a finger-operated control switch for said motor and arranged to beopened and closed while the operator maintains a firm grasp of saidhandle end, and said curler device being further characterized in thatsaid operator-controlled means is positioned to be manipulated by thehand while grasping said handle end.

11. A hair curler as defined in claim 8 characterized in the provisionof brake means engageable by that one of said clutch means operable todrive said chucking device 'when disengaged thereby to prevent rotationof the chucking device and the roller thereon while said electric motoris in use to drive said hairpin transfer means.

12. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said haircurler includes a roller having -a flanged rim at either end thereof,each of said flanged rims being bevelled to cooperate with the forwardpronged end of a hairpin in spreading the prongs apart as the hairpin isadvanced axially of said roller and astride one of said flanged rims.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,159,131 5/1939 Burns 132-342,226,351 12/ 1940 Spreckels 132-34 2,596,017 5/ 1952 Filak 1'312-342,935,070 5/ 1960 Auz 132-34 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SELF-CONTAINED POWER-DRIVEN HAIR CURLER HAVING AN ELONGATED MAINBODY WITH AN ELECTRIC MOTOR CARRIED IN THE HANDLE END THEREOF, A HAIRPINMAGAZINE, A ROTARY ROLLER CHUCKING DEVICE PROJECTING AXIALLY FORWARDLYOF SAID MAGAZINE, A HOLLOW ROLLER ADAPTED TO BE TELESCOPICALLY MOUNTEDOVER SAID CHUCKING DEVICE, POWER-DRIVEN MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A HAIRPINFROM SAID MAGAZINE LENGTHWISE OF SAID HOLLOW ROLLER AND SO THAT THEHAIRPIN EMBRACES THE ADJACENT RIM EDGE OF THE HOLLOW ROLLER, MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR TO SAID CHUCKING DEVICE ANDOPERATOR-CONTROLLED MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DRIVING SAID CHUCKING DEVICEAND SAID HAIRPIN TRANSFER MEANS FROM SAID MOTOR AT THE OPERATOR''SSELECTION.